


Scalding

by stardropdream



Category: Gate 7
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-06
Updated: 2013-10-06
Packaged: 2017-12-28 14:02:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/992805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stardropdream/pseuds/stardropdream
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sakura takes a bath.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Scalding

It’s after a long day of class that Tachibana returns home, his shoulders tense and his mood only a touch on the foul side. Hana greets him, though, all smiles from under her bunny hood, and he can’t help but smile in return, reaching out to adjust the hood for her, asking how her day was. But then he has to talk to the freeloader, which sours his mood a bit again. 

He makes his way upstairs, intent on just sleeping the rest of the evening away, when he hears Sakura humming. Usually, such things would just make him scoff or scowl, but the song he’s humming is a gentle lullaby, and somehow soothing. He walks into his own room, dropping off his things, and the sound carries through the relatively thin walls, to the bathroom they share. He rolls his eyes a bit as the song floats through the barely-ajar door leading from his room. 

He pushes the door open, slowly, accosted by the sweet scene of soap, crisp and hanging in the air. The room is heavy with heat, damp and almost suffocating. And of course, there is Sakura in the enormous tub, his head leaning heavily against the curved rim of the tub, eyes closed, smiling absently to himself as he hums out the small song – one that Tachibana doesn’t recognize, but then again, Sakura was always more musical. Tachibana leans against the doorway, as yet unnoticed by his companion, whose face is pointed to the ceiling, leaning back as if in perfect luxury. Tachibana traces his eyes down the slope of his throat, his chest – the parts that don’t disappear beneath the steaming water. He’s vaguely embarrassed by how his breath goes shallow seeing Sakura but not embarrassed enough to leave the bathroom, either. 

Sakura breathes out, the humming light and playful, and he shifts, one long, muscled leg stretching out before him, his bare foot shifting to dangle over the tub’s lip, his other leg bending at the knee. He slides one hand behind his head, sighing out and humming again, his throat tense with the sound. Water drips down from his elbow, slides down the muscles of his arm and down over his chest – and his voice is soft, but strong and he looks perfectly comfortable in the water there, surrounded by steam. 

And Sakura, stupid, hot, attractive moron that he is, is sitting naked in the bathtub and _humming_ like the stupid, cute idiot that he is. Tachibana sucks in a sharp breath and then shifts, lifting his hand to knock on the door twice, announcing his presence. 

Sakura shifts a bit, not necessarily alarmed but suddenly aware of a presence – and he doesn’t even bother to open his eyes – although his smile softens a bit. 

“Hey,” he says, his voice gentle, welcoming. His smile tugs at the corners of his mouth, making him look just as foolish as Tachibana knows he is – and yet instantly endearing. Tachibana steps further into the bathroom, but the heat is almost excruciating, muggy. 

“Hey,” he answers in turn, seating himself carefully on the edge of the tub, pushing Sakura’s leg out of the way to do so. 

Sakura opens his eyes, and his expression is gentle, open – happy to see him. And Tachibana thinks he’ll never be used to Sakura looking at him like that: like he’s the only person in the world worth noticing. 

“Did you want to shower or something?” Sakura asks, untucking his hand from behind his head and settling into the water. The water ripples and sloshes a bit, but there’s no danger of it hitting Tachibana. 

Tachibana shrugs and shakes his head. “Not really.” 

“Ah… Then it’s just that this is your favorite way to find me,” Sakura decides with a sage nod, and he looks at him, and Tachibana snorts, reaching to brush damp white hair away from his forehead and tucking it behind his ear. 

“Yeah right,” he says, but knows it sounds weak, and he doesn’t really offer an alternate explanation, nor deny that he doesn’t enjoy a naked Sakura. Sakura closes his eyes as Tachibana plays with his hair. “I have no idea how you can even breathe in this – it’s a goddamn sauna in here.” 

Sakura shrugs, and opens his eyes again, enough that only the slightest warmth of his eyes are visible beneath heavy eyelids. He tilts his head back a bit as Tachibana drags his fingers through his hair. 

“It could be hotter,” Sakura says with a shrug. “I like it hot.” 

“I’m sure,” Tachibana drawls out and Sakura’s lips quirk into a knowing smile, the heat from the water sliding into his eyes for half a moment, open with suggestion. Tachibana rolls his eyes, planting his hand on the lip of the bathtub and leaning in closer to Sakura. 

Sakura lifts one hand from the water and wraps it around Tachibana’s wrist. 

Tachibana rolls his eyes again, amused and exasperated – and just tired from a long day at university. “If that’s your idea of an invitation, you should know I don’t like to bathe in boiling water – even for… cuddling.”

He knew that would elicit a laugh and he’s not disappointed, Sakura beams at him, his laughter soft and warm and the bathwater ripples with the movement. He tilts his head back again, eyes half-closed and hooded as he watches him, fingers still curled lightly around his wrist. And then he shifts, his thumb pressing against his thrumming pulse and then stroking gently and very deliberately up the inside of his wrist. 

“Cuddling,” Sakura repeats, testing the word, his lips twitching with his smile, before it drops down to something more heated, more promising. “Do you know me at all?” 

And the way that smile ripples into a promise only sets Tachibana’s blood on fire. 

“You’re such an asshole,” Tachibana breathes out, distracted. His voice is rough and he braces himself against the tub before he leans down and kisses Sakura, dragging his teeth over his bottom lip before kissing him deeply, possessively. Sakura lifts himself up to meet him, water falling away from his chest and his ribs as he sits up, kissing him – his mouth is hot and wet and eager to kiss him in return, and it feels as if the steam is rolling off him. Sakura hums happily into his mouth, a soft, pleased sound and Tachibana growls out in return, before he can stop the sound. 

One dripping hand curls around the back of his neck, and he feels the hot water slide down over his spine, wetting his already dampened shirt. The curve of Sakura’s thumb brushes at the underside of his ear, and shifts, playing with the flicks of his hair at the nape of his neck, fingers brushing and digging into the stiff muscles there – not even beginning to relieve the tension there from long days at school, but helping, at least. Sakura strokes the side of his neck once, twice, and it’s overwhelming simply for the gentleness of the motion. 

Tachibana pulls away after a moment, loathing to do so – and Sakura follows after him, kissing him again – although quicker this time, simple and almost too chaste for them. 

“You’re ridiculous,” Tachibana says into the kiss before pulling away properly, settling back down comfortably on the lip of the tub. And he _is_ ridiculous – perfectly, purely ridiculous, smiling up at him as if he is the only one in the world, as if he is worthwhile and worth all that adoration saturating his expression, his cheeks flushed with heat and sentiment, eyes smug and satisfied and darkened with his desire. He chuckles when Tachibana lifts his hands, trying to fix his hair from where Sakura mushed it up like the ridiculous idiot he is. 

“No more than you,” Sakura offers.

“I am not ridiculous,” Tachibana says, primly, turning up his nose before he can stop himself, and Sakura’s answering laugh demonstrates just how, well, ridiculous he must look. 

“Whatever you say,” Sakura says, his voice almost singsong in that playful mocking he always does when he knows he’s rihgt. He lifts his hands, tucking them behind his head. He closes his eyes and hums out half of a song, his voice low and rumbling and gentle. 

Tachibana sighs out, rolling his eyes even though Sakura can’t see the motion. 

He dips his hand into the water, letting his fingertips brush over Sakura’s knee. 

He pauses, silent. 

“… Fuck it,” Tachibana decides, and starts unbuttoning his shirt, ignoring the triumphant smile that ripples across Sakura’s face.


End file.
